Should you want to be “missed” from your organization after you leave? Why or why not?

I really like this question. As a co cdr, I saw the impact that short-sighted initiatives had on the unit.  As the book  Turn the Ship Around!   shows, this question relates to the fact that many officers (being pessimistic) drive their units to the ground know…[Read more]

These are great resolutions and comments.

Resolution #1 Read a book a month. This can be done by reading at night (instead of #netflix), keeping track of pages read (reading habits), and having an accountability partner.

Resolution #2 Write more often. Look for opportunities to reflect while seeking opportunities to write in journals etc.

@smehr – thank you for the feedback and the positive comment!

I recommend you also take a look at some of the interviews as well as the leader’s log to delve into some of the challenges and opportunities Commanders are facing.

Here is the latest command interview.

LINK or address at:…[Read more]

Wow, that sounds amazing! Do you have a conop or more info on the planning/execution of the event? For example, hw long did you have for the “healthy discussion.” I feel oftentimes there are misunderstandings that can easily be solved by having honest conversations and feedback. Your method, when done properly, seems to be very effective.

@brock.j.young – great points about being cautious and bringing up commanders who over-react. Similar to Command Climate Assessments/ Surveys, it is important to gain perspective on people’s comments and as they say separate the signal from the noise.  Soldiers will complain, it is human nature. However, I argue what separates good and great…[Read more]

How do you lead civilians in your organization? If you don’t have civilians, how do you lead people that you don’t have command or supervisory authority over?

As an MI Officer, I’ve had the pleasure of working and leading civilians both downrange and at home station.  I agree with comments above that one must be authentic and understand the…[Read more]

One of the most illuminating experiences I had about “stepping away” was an OPD in which we had the senior MI leader on post, discuss work-life balance.  I definitely invite other officers, when tasked to do execute an OPD, to invite a senior leader to come discuss “work-life balance.”

That being said, I have found that leaving work at work, fi…[Read more]

Rose – what a great post! I wholeheartedly agree with your comments about disciplined initiative and being a jack of all trades. As an MI LT, one is expected to provide timely intelligence and demonstrate competence in their primary duties. However, junior officers also get “selected” to execute other responsibilities. I was lucky enough to plan…[Read more]

I’m trying to get time with my SR in order to force some conversations. I’m sure other functional area officers may see some parallels to my predicament:

I’m an FA57 in a USAR ECAB. They haven’t traditionally filled this role, but here I am. I switched components from NG to USAR AGR, and in doing so lost some progression time so my first look for…[Read more]

I’ll provide a slightly different perspective. As a cadet, I served in reserve units for three years prior to commissioning and entering active duty. While I can’t speak specifically on the transition like brock.j.young did, I can say some things are different.  Unfortunately, there is somewhat of a perception of reserve units. However, like most…[Read more]